The High Cost of Living
by MarianTheLibrarian22
Summary: Pyrrha struggles to recuperate and re-adjust to life after having been dead for a year. But she finds it harder and harder to hold herself together as the situation in Remnant rapidly deteriorates, and chaos threatans to ensue
1. Damaged

Pyrrha sat up with a gasp, hand flying to her mouth to muffle the cry of fear that forced its way out of her. She fumbled in the dark for Milo and Akuo, craving the comfort of a weapon in her hand.

Instead, her fingers found only dirt and emptiness, and Pyrrha was reminded that Milo and Akuo had been lost a year ago along with everything else.

Her hands trembled and her heart raced, her nightmare having left adrenaline coursing through her system. _I'm only remembering something. Only seeing the signals that pass through my brain. I have nothing to fear._ Pyrrha took deep, gasping breaths, willing her heartbeat to slow.

 _Nothing to fear._

She glanced up at the night sky. Judging by the way the moon hung low on the horizon, it was late, and dawn was on its way. She sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with her still-shaking hands and shaking off the exhaustion that seemed to follow her everywhere nowadays. _Just a few minutes_ , she had told herself when she had shut her eyes, but that had to have been hours ago. Long, nightmare filled hours.

She stood, letting her sweat soaked blanket fall to the ground in a heap; far too wide awake to even think about going back to sleep. Besides, sleep wasn't rest. Sleep was being trapped in her own mind until she finally scared herself awake.

The others were still sound asleep around the embers of their campfire and Pyrrha did her best not to wake them. They had all been through a lot, and they needed whatever rest they could get.

Pyrrha's eyes fell on Zahra, currently on watch at the edge of the clearing. If she had heard Pyrrha crying out in her sleep she didn't show it, she hadn't looked away from the Grimm-infested woods. Pyrrha had spoken little to the newcomer in their group-though Pyrrha supposed all things considered she was the newcomer in this situation.

Zahra was quiet and distant and had made it clear to Pyrrha she wasn't interested in making friends. She and her partner Aven were on their way to Mistral looking for the rest of Team AZSR and Pyrrha had gotten the distinct impression that they had decided to accompany RNJR out of convenience more than anything.

Zahra glanced up and Pyrrha as she approached. "You taking next watch?"

Pyrrha nodded. "Sure."

"Great." Zahra got to her feet, stretching and yawning. "I'm going to sleep. It's Nora's turn if you need someone to take over."

And so Pyrrha was left alone with her thoughts.

Well, not _entirely_ alone.

She examined the others closely, making sure they were sleeping, searching for any signs they might wake.

"Are you there?" she whispered, nervously.

" _Always. Unfortunately."_ Pyrrha didn't miss the note of sarcasm on Amber's voice

"Sorry. You're just so quiet, I forget."

" _It's fine. Did you need something from me?"_

"I just…I need to talk to someone. To keep awake." Pyrrha stifled a yawn.

" _That was one hell of a nightmare."_ Amber commented after a pause.

"You saw that?"

" _I live in your head. My Aura is connected to yours. Of course I saw that."_ Pyrrha could tell from Amber's tone that she'd be rolling her eyes if she actually had any.

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha rested her head in her hands.

" _What for?"_

"I doubt you're enjoying being trapped in my head any more than I am." _Not that I really like having you there in the first place,_ Pyrrha thought, and then instantly a wave of guilt washed over her. She had forgotten Amber could see her thoughts.

" _Well, like it or not, we're stuck with each other."_

 _So we are._ Amber had apparently resigned herself to that fact, while Pyrrha had yet to come to terms with the idea that somebody else had taken up residence in her brain.

It was Amber who broke the silence that had fallen. " _When are you going to tell the others about us?"_

 _This again?_ "I'd rather not talk about that." Pyrrha pressed her hand to her temple, where a headache had begun to build.

" _You said you wanted to talk,"_ Amber replied insistently.

"Not about that."

" _About what then? Your boyfriend?"_

"He's _not_ my-" Pyrrha nearly yelled but stopped herself mid-sentence. Had she woken the others?

There was a long, tense silence. Nobody stirred. Pyrrha let out a sigh of relief.

" _Yeah, but you want him to be."_ Amber didn't miss a beat, picking up her teasing right where she'd left off.

Pyrrha groaned, hanging her head in frustration."Please stop."

" _Oh come on. Live a little. You're the only one of us that can."_

"You are insufferable." Pyrrha muttered.

" _And you're the most damaged person I've ever met."_

That was low and Amber knew it. "How could you… I'm _not_ …" Pyrrha found that her voice was too unsteady to form a coherent reply. She took a slow breath, composing herself. "I am _fine._ "

" _Sure, kid."_

Pyrrha fell silent, steadfastly ignoring Amber's voice inside her head.

" _Okay, I'm sorry. Geez."_

Pyrrha still refused to acknowledge her, the hurt of being called _damaged_ cutting deep.

" _You can't just ignore me forever, kid. We share the same mind."_

 _We'll see about that._ She sat in silence until the sun appeared over the treetops and the rest of her teammates awoke.

Nora frowned as she saw Pyrrha already up. "You weren't supposed to be on watch tonight."

Pyrrha shrugged. "I couldn't sleep, so I took over for Zahra."

Nora sat herself down beside Pyrrha, a concerned expression on her face. "That's the third night in a row. Are the nightmares back?"

Pyrrha forced a smile, brushing off Nora's worried with a wave of her hand. "Nothing to worry about. I'm fine." Her first week back her screams had woken everyone else multiple times a night.

"Okay." Nora leaned over, giving her a tight hug. "Let me know if you need anything."

Pyrrha returned the hug before getting to her feet. "Really Nora, nothing's wrong. I'd best get ready for travelling today."

" _You're running from your problems."_ Amber chastised her as Pyrrha packed her things.

"And also still ignoring you."

"You're doing what?"

Pyrrha whirled around and found herself face to face with Jaune. "Oh! Nothing, um… just muttering to myself. And packing. Also that." She ran a hand through her hair nervously.

Jaune didn't seem to pick up on her awkwardness. "Oh. Okay. Well, we're heading out in a few minutes so just be ready by then." He put a hand on her shoulder as he walked past to check on Ruby and Aven by the other side of the clearing.

Pyrrha was glad he wasn't facing her to see the way her body tensed involuntarily at the unexpected physical contact.

 _Breathe. Just breathe._ Pyrrha forced her shoulders to relax, her jaw to untighten. Hoisting her pack of scavenged and borrowed things onto her back, she took the old sword she'd claimed as her temporary weapon in her hand. It was time to face the day.


	2. Remains

**Chapter Two: Remains**

Jaune walked alongside Ruby, the two of them leading their mismatched group down the forest path. Ren walked just behind them, with Nora and Pyrrha following and Aven and Zahra taking up the rear.

"So…" he paused as they came to a fork in the road. 'Want to check the map and figure out where we're going?"

Ruby reached into her bag and rifled around for a few minutes, then turned back to him, a sheepish expression on her face. "I, uh…"

Jaune suppressed a groan of frustration. "You lost it again?"

"No, she gave it to me." Pyrrha appeared at his side, handing him the folded map.

"R-right. Thanks." Jaune took it from her. _She's real_ , he had to remind himself. _She's really here._ Before, he'd seen her-in dreams, in glimpses out of the corner of his eye but it was nothing like this, even after weeks he couldn't believe he could talk to her, hear her-

"Jaune?" Pyrrha's concerned voice brought him back to the present. "You're staring."

"Oh. Sorry." He snatched the map from her and hastily turned away. "Looks like the next village is just up this way."

"Great. I'll scout ahead for Grimm." Ruby activated her semblance and took off without giving Jaune the chance to reply, leaving a trail of rose petals in her wake.

Jaune didn't miss the way Pyrrha's face fell as she watched Ruby disappear from sight. "You okay?" He reached out to her but she took a step back and shook her head abruptly, as if snapping herself out of a daze.

"Don't worry about me," she replied, smiling. "I'm fine." As she slipped away towards the back of the group, Jaune could have sworn he heard her mutter something irritably under her breath.

Before he could wonder about Pyrrha's odd behavior Ruby came back over the ridge, skidding to a halt in front of him. She Crescent Rose drawn and unfolded to its full size, and her face was drawn and pale. Something was obviously wrong. "What did you find? Were there Grimm?"

Ruby shook her head, panting. "The village- I think there were bandits… you have to come see, hurry."

Jaune turned to face the rest of the group. Nora and Ren had their weapons drawn, Aven and Zahra had moved in beside them. Pyrrha held her borrowed sword down by her side. "Ren, Nora, guard the ridge in case whatever's going on up there attracts more Grimm. The rest of you, come with me."

The moment they came up over the ridge Jaune was met with the terrible sight of the wrecked village. Where houses had once stood, charred remains now collapsed in on themselves. Smoke coiled in tendrils from the destruction.

There was a clatter and Jaune turned to see Pyrrha, wide eyed and pale, taking in the scene in front of her. Her sword had slipped from her hand. "Oh my _Oum…"_

"Hey." Jaune reached out to her, setting a hand on her shoulder. She flinched at his touch.

"Ren and Nora…I have to make sure they don't see." She retrieved her sword and rushed back in the direction they had come.

Jaune thought about going after her but a shout from Aven drew his attention. "I found something!" She was standing in front of what looked like it was at one point a house. Half of it had caved in. Aven stood outside the remainder of the doorway, her scimitar _Xinsheng_ at the ready. "I heard something in there." She nodded to the interior of the building as Jaune and Zahra joined her by the entrance. "Might be a survivor, might be Grimm."

Zahra moved to enter but Jaune held up his arm, stopping her. "Hold on. We need to be careful about this."

Zahra rolled her eyes but obeyed the order. "Of course, fearless leader." Jaune had grown accustom to the sarcasm that dripped from her voice whenever she spoke.

Brushing her off, he turned to Aven. "You head in first. Use your semblance."

Aven nodded, and her whole form began to shimmer as she bent the flow of time around herself. When she activated her semblance time slowed or sped up for her depending on what the situation required.

So when a large, black creature lunged at her out of the darkness she was prepared, moving faster than seemed possible. It was different from watching Ruby, she became a blur of movement and flower petals. Aven just seemed to sort of blink from one place to the next, as she did now, appearing underneath the Beowolf Grimm and driving Xinsheng up through its skull.

Aven sighed and stepped back from the body of the Beowolf that had already begun to dissolve. "No survivors then."

Jaune did his best to remain optimistic. "There might still be some. Ruby's still looking."

No sooner had he finished his sentence than Ruby appeared by his side. He didn't need to ask if she'd found anyone, her face told him the answer was no. "It's all gone." She said. She sounded like she was in shock. No matter how much time they spent outside the kingdoms, the brutality that they encountered out here still seemed to take her by surprise. "The best we can do is scavenge for supplies and take care of the rest of the Grimm."

Jaune managed a nod, swallowing down the lump in his throat. "Can you go update the others? I told them to wait by the ridge."

"On it." With that, Ruby was gone again.

Aven and Zahra exchanged a glance. Though the two had joined them a few months ago, they were still very much their own team. "We'll take another look around while you wait for everyone else," Aven said after a pause.

Jaune couldn't help but think it was a waste of time-it was unlikely that the bandits and the Grimm had spared anything or anyone that they wouldn't have already found-but didn't argue. He could use some time to think.

However his thoughts were quickly interrupted by Ruby returning again, this time with Nora. Pyrrha and Ren in tow. Jaune couldn't help but notice the way Ren and Nora walked closer together, tense and guarded, holding onto each other for comfort. Their past was something the two of them rarely spoke of, but Jaune knew enough to know that the sight of the village would bring back awful memories for both of them. Pyrrha looked just as shaken. She trailed behind the group, her face vacant and pale. Jaune wanted to go to her side and comfort her, but right now he had to lead his team. He wished he didn't have to expose any of them to this, but they needed the supplies badly and even if they hadn't, there was no easy path around the village.

"Alright," Jaune said, clearing his throat. "Spread out, search any buildings left standing, and watch out for Grimm. We'll meet back up here before heading out." He was met with terse nods of understanding from Ren and Nora. He tried to meet Pyrrha's eye but she wouldn't look up from the ground. Still, he couldn't just leave her looking so upset. As the others headed off, he caught up to her. "Hey, Pyrrha."

She glanced up briefly, acknowledging him with a small smile. "Hello, Jaune."

Talking to Pyrrha had once been so easy. Now, Jaune found himself grasping for the right words. "Just… hang in there. It'll be okay. We'll be out of here soon."

"I know. Thank you, Jaune." Without further discussion Pyrrha wandered away, leaving Jaune wondering if he had actually helped her at all.

 **A/N:**

Thanks to those of you who have liked/subscribed so far, I hope you're enjoying this. This chapter might be a little shaky becaus eI have less experience writing from Jaune's pov than almost any other rwby character so I'm still figuring him out.

For those of you that haven't read Warnings and Choices already, you might want to do that because it makes this make a lot more sense. That being said I'm sure not all of you have time to do that so brief synopsis of what you need to know: Pyrrha died in the Fall of Beacon like in canon and her aura was trapped in Cinder's body. RNJR set off for Mistral and ended up coming across Aven and Zahra of AZSR. Cinder was hunting them and tried to kill Jaune, but Pyrrha's soul extracted itself from Cinder to protect him, bringing herself back to life in the process. She doesn't know how this happened and that's something I'm going to get into in later chapters. If you're confused by this I'm sorry but I'm _really_ bad at explaining my own writing.

Anyway... If you have any thoughts I'd love to hear them, feel free to leave a review.


	3. Memories

**Chapter Three: Memories**

 **Warning: This chapter contains a description of self-harm**

The worst thing about the nameless, destroyed village was the smell. It smelled of smoke, of death, destruction. It smelled the same way it had at the Fall of Beacon, and Pyrrha knew that screams had filled this place just like they once filled the city of Vale.

And it smelled like the village where Amber had been born as it had burned to the ground. Pyrrha could feel the older woman's fear clawing at the inside of her skull, vivid memories that weren't her own flooding her mind and making it that much harder to breathe.

Pyrrha walked quickly, keeping her head high and her face blank until she was sure the others couldn't see her. Behind the cover of a building she let her knees buckle as she slid to the ground, taking ragged, gasping breaths.

" _You need to get yourself under control. You're like a homing beacon for the Grimm right now."_

Amber's voice was grating.

"I am _trying."_ Pyrrha muttered through gritted teeth. "And you aren't exactly helping."

" _I have my own past, yes. But I, unlike you, came to terms with it long ago."_

"Then why do I feel your fear?"

" _The only fear you are feeling is your own."_ Amber's words were sharp and defensive, not quite hiding the lie that Pyrrha knew she was telling. " _Just try to calm down before you get us all killed."_

Pyrrha dug her nails into her arms, dragging them along the sensitive skin. The sharp pain helped her focus, and for a moment her panic subsided.

That was when she heard it, the footfalls too heavy to be anything other than a pack of Grimm coming towards her. She rose to her feet just in time to see three Ursa charging out of the nearby trees, and barely had time to retrieve her sword before they were upon her in a mass of claws and teeth and soulless hunger.

Though Pyrrha herself may have been paralyzed by fear, the part of her that was Amber was itching for a fight. She let that part take over, lashing out at the first ursa and driving it back, hitting the ground to avoid the second one as it lunged at her. Following her instincts and adrenaline she drove her sword up into its exposed underbelly as it passed over her, it was dead before it hit the ground.

Pyrrha got to her feet only to be sent flying by a swipe of a massive claw. She hit the ground hard, forcing the air out of her lungs. She pulled herself upright, gasping for breath. Movement at the top of her vision alerted her just in time and she brought up her sword-which mercifully, she had managed to hold onto when she fell- to block a follow-up strike.

Oum, she _missed_ having a shield to protect herself, let alone a gun. Arms shaking with the effort she shoved the ursa in front of her back before whirling around and delivering a slash to the face of the one that had tried to sneak up behind her. Angling her sword downwards she drove the blade into the soft spot behind the monster's skull and it died with a roar of pain, leaving only one for her to contend with.

Before she could turn and face the remaining Grimm she felt somethin drive into her back, shoving her into the hard ground and sending her sword clattering away from her. She reached out for it, struggling against the weight of the ursa's paw that kept her pinned down. She felt its breath against her cheek and cold, blind panic set in as she realized that she was seconds from death, from returning to that dark, empty place-

" _Use your semblance, you idiot!"_ Amber's voice snapped her out of her head and Pyrrha did as she was told, attracting her sword to her and managing to flip herself over so that she could aim her sword at the ursa's neck.

The blade found its mark and the beast's head fell away, the rest of its body collapsing on top of Pyrrha. Pyrrha lay there for a moment, too tired to crawl out from under its weight, the past few nights of no sleep having taken their toll on her.

" _What was_ that?" Amber berated her inside her head. " _I've watched you fight. You don't earn the name 'The Invincible Girl' by fighting like an untrained child. Or forgetting to use your Oum damned_ semblance!"

Pyrrha felt her face go red with shame. She had no defense for herself, so she simply said, "That was before."

Amber hadn't finished. " _Besides, we could have gotten rid of those things without even lifting a finger if you would just-_ "

"No." Pyrrha cut her off,. "I told you, I will not use your powers."

" _They aren't mine anymore,"_ Amber replied bitterly. " _Can teach you how to control them if you would just-"_

"Amber, I said no." Pyrrha pushed herself upright. The others would be looking for her soon and she wasn't going to let them find her like this. She had seen Jaune's face when he told her things would be okay-he _needed_ her to be okay.

So as far as he and the rest of her team were concerned, she would be.

"Pyrrha!" Pyrrha's head snapped around at the sound of Jaune calling to her. "Where are y-" He halted as he came around the corner of the building and took in the fallen Grimm. "Holy shit, Pyrrha what happened?"

Pyrrha shrugged, holding her hands behind her back to hide that they were shaking. "Just a couple of Ursa."

"You should have called for help, you could have been hurt-"

"Jaune." Pyrrha held out her arms to stop his worried lecture. "Everything's fine. _I'm_ fine."

" _You know you're really starting to sound like a broken-"_

 _Not now._

Jaune looked her up and down before turning away with a sigh, of relief or exhaustion Pyrrha couldn't tell. "Okay. Well, we're heading out now."

"Of course. I'm coming." She trailed behind him as he walked back towards what had once been the village square. That Grimm attack had been a reminder of the risks of getting too close, especially in her current state. Logically, a few feet of distance wouldn't make any difference.

Even so, it felt safer.

 **A/N:**

 **#LetTeamJNPRSwear2k17** because god knows these poor kids have been through enough to warrant it.

Don't worry, I do have an actual plot for this fic planned out, it's not all angst and internal monologues. There were some things I had to set up first and if all goes as I want it to the story will be kicked off next chapter for real. It's gonna be epic. Just let me get my life together first.

Thanks to those who have followed/favourited, and to those who have left reviews! Feedback is important to me because I want to be a better writer, and because it's encouragement for me to keep going.


	4. Condemnation and Consequences

**Chapter Four: Condemnation and Consequences**

Emerald shivered, pulling the jacket she'd stolen a few days ago tighter around her shoulders. Though it wasn't half as cold as Atlas had been, the damp chill of Mistral seemed to seep into her core.

"Why don't you come snuggle? It'll keep you warm."

Emerald shot a glare at Mercury who sat a few feet away, making adjustments to his prosthetic legs. "I would rather die of hypothermia."

"Aww, c'mon. I'm like a big, fuzzy teddy bear." Mercury opened his arms as if to offer her a hug.

Emerald raised an eyebrow, cracking her knuckles. "Completely useless and easily ripped to shreds?"

" _Oum_ , Emerald, what is your childhood trauma?"

"Will you two be quiet?" Cinder's voice rang out from the back of the cave, cutting off their banter. "It's hard enough to think without your insipid rambling." Her aura flared, sending shadows flickering across the cave walls.

Emerald clambered to her feet, bowing her head. "Of course. I'm sorry." Mercury stayed put, saying nothing.

Cinder's eyes flicked to Emerald then away as she began to pace distractedly back and forth. "How? That's the question, how did she do it…"

Emerald sighed and sat back down. Nothing new then, the same muttering and skulking Cinder had been doing for weeks as they travelled through the mountains of Anima towards some unknown destination. Emerald had begun to wonder if Cinder herself knew where they were going. _Of course she does. She just hasn't told us yet, but she will._

"Put any thought into what I said yesterday?" Mercury leaned in towards her, speaking in a hushed whisper so that Cinder wouldn't hear.

Emerald stiffened. "I've given you my answer."

"Come on, Em. Why?"

Emerald was tempted to ignore him, but his tone sounded genuine. The rarity of that in itself made her decide to answer. "Because I trust her. Because we're already here, and because you know what The Queen would do if we ran." She shuddered at the mere thought of what would happen to her if anyone knew they had even _talked_ about defecting.

"I get that you feel like you owe Cinder something, but look-" Mercury waved a hand at Cinder as she began another lap of the cave, stopping every so often to let out a series of wet, hacking coughs. "She hasn't been the same since the Fall, since…"

"That's why we're here. That's why we can't leave-" Emerald broke off as Cinder suddenly fell silent. "Is everything alright?"

Cinder whirled on her, flames flickering in her palms. "Of course not! I _killed_ Pyrrha Nikos. I took her soul and destroyed her body and yet she stood in front of me, made me kneel with a power that was rightfully mine." She paused, struggling to catch her breath. "But soon, I will make it right. Both she and the silver eyed girl will suffer for their crimes against me." Emerald shot a glance at Mercury. The manic glint in Cinder's eye was new, and it unsettled her more than she wanted to admit. "I can't do it alone though, that was my mistake last time."

"Are we going to return to The Queen?" Emerald did her best to keep her voice steady, even though the mere thought of seeing that... _thing_ again made her skin crawl.

Cinder let out a barking laugh that dissolved into another coughing fit. As soon as she recovered, she answered in a husky voice. "And how do you think she'd react if I came crawling back like this? Weak, pitiful, robbed of my powers by a foe I was supposed to have slain. Would I be on her good side then? Would she shower you with praise for protecting me?"

Heat rushed into Emerald's face, she lowered her head in shame. "I only thought-"

Cinder cut her off with a wave of her hand. "She'd throw us all to the Grimm and you know it." She resumed her pacing, the blaze surrounding her dulling to a glow. "No, we need to dispose of Pyrrha Nikos first, and Ruby Rose for good measure. Only then can we return to The Queen."

"I-you- _what?!"_ The words were out of Emerald's mouth before she could stop them. "You wish for us to take on both a half-maiden who has already escaped death once, _and_ an amazingly powerful girl with the ability to take out a Grimm dragon. On our own."

Cinder gave her a warning look and Emerald knew better than to question her further. "I expect us to do all of those things, but not alone. And I will remind you that the two of them are barely more than children, and neither can control the power they wield. Mercury. Contact Adam Taurus. Tell him I wish to speak with him."

Mercury snapped to attention, pulling out his scroll and beginning to dial.

Emerald swallowed nervously as Cinder turned to her. "As for you, I assume all of your connections are intact?"

"Of course."

Cinder nodded approvingly. "Good. We'll need them for this. Gather whatever information you can on the children and where they are headed. I'd like to arrange a fitting welcome."

Emerald bowed her head. "Consider it done." She didn't know whether to feel relieved that they had a plan in place, or terrified as to what it was. Mercury's plan to run away was suddenly sounding much more appealing.

If Cinder had any idea what was going on in Emerald's mind she didn't show it. "Excellent. While you two take care of that…" A wicked grin spread across her face, "I have to visit an old friend."

 **A/N:**

Well now we have the beginnings of a plot, so this is exciting. Wondering where things will go from here?...yeah me too.

Thanks to ZenithTempest and ZappyZappy for the reviews:

-I can't promise smooth sailing for Arkos, they've both got a lot of emotional baggage to work through before they can start to build any kind of relationship. That being said I can promise not to be too cruel, I do care about the characters and there are lines I won't cross.

-Thanks for the feedback and I'm sorry I didn't add a warning before, that was insensitive. I've updated the chapter with a warning and will have one for any chapter that will require one in the future. Once again thank you for helping me improve!


	5. Chapter 5: Everything's Fine

**Chapter Five: Everything's Fine**

Ruby swung Crescent Rose at the Beowulf, easily removing its head. _Next target-there._ A charging Boarbatusk died with a bullet in its head. She fell into the familiar rhythm of fighting: Aim, fire, kill. Dodge, swing, kill.

She was mid-strike when there was a yelp and someone crashed into her from behind. "Hey!" Ruby hit the ground in a tangle of limbs.

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha scrambled to her feet and managed to deliver a weak blow to an attacking Grimm.

"It's fine! Just be careful!" Ruby threw herself back into the fray before Pyrrha could reply.

Time seemed to stand still as she lost herself once again in the motions of hunting. She cut down Grimm after Grimm, until suddenly she looked up to find none left to destroy.

"That's all of them." Jaune called to her from further down the path.

Ruby nodded. "That was a big wave. More than we've had in awhile."

"Nothing we can't handle, right?" Nora skipped over, Magnhild unfolded.

Ruby shrugged. "Of course." She forced a smile. Ren had followed Nora over and was wiping Grimm blood off his weapons. Aven and Zahra waited behind, keeping an eye out for any more Grimm that decided to show up late to the party. Pyrrha, meanwhile, stood away from the group, her eyes downcast, sword hanging loosely in her hand.

Ruby's eyes lingered on Pyrrha's hands, which were raw and blistered, and Ruby had watched Jaune fight long enough to know Pyrrha's grip wasn't quite right.

She felt a stab of pity, her hands tightening on the grip of Crescent Rose. They had yet to find a blacksmith with the ability to build weapons as precise as Milo and Akuo from scratch. _All the more reason to get to Haven as soon as possible._

Pyrrha's tired green eyes meeting Ruby's own.

 _Those same eyes wide with fear and pain, a smile on Cinder's face. She was too late-_

Ruby quickly broke away. "I- We should get going. We want to get to Sakuraso before sundown."

"Sakuraso?" Pyrrha's face went even paler than it already was. "I-I've been there. On the way to a tournament. I think…" Her eyes glassed over, fixed on something Ruby couldn't see.

"Oh. Okay. What was it like?"

"That's not the point." Jaune said before Pyrrha could respond. "The point is they might recognize her. I mean she wasn't- _she's not_ exactly under the radar."

"Ooh! Pyrrha could wear a disguise! With big glasses and a fake moustache!" Nora bounced on the balls of her feet.

Aven snorted. "Oh my _Oum,_ I-" She stopped as everyone turned to stare at her. "What? The Invincible Girl in some cheap dollar store disguise is a funny image."

Zahra rolled her eyes. "Aven, for Oum's sake.

Ren raised an eyebrow. "We're in the middle of the forest, Nora, where would we even find those?"

"I dunno." She shrugged.

Ruby shook her head a few giggles escaping despite her best efforts. Still, Jaune had a point. Pyrrha would attract far too much attention as it was… "Here." Ruby carefully unclasped her cloak. After a moment's hesitation Pyrrha reached out and took it, careful that her fingers didn't touch Ruby's. She wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling it over her head so as to hide her face.

It wasn't the most concealing, but it was what they had to work with.

"Alright then." She pulled out the map, turning towards the path. "Let's go."

 **A/N**

Short chapter after a long wait, but I haven't had much time to write these past couple of weeks. Thanks for your patience, I know my update schedule is erratic at best.

Thanks to ZappyZappy, StudioGible, COOLER for their reviews on chapter 4:

-Em/Merc dialogue is always a fun time. They've got a great dynamic, and Emerald has a sarcastic streak that appeals to me. (I'm curious, did anyone get the Buffy reference I threw in?) Thanks again for the feedback!

-I do love me some morally ambiguous Mercury. I feel like he's happy as long as he's getting paid and there's violence involved. Whether he and Em are going to become a thing is still up in the air

-Story time with Qrow has not happened yet-Qrow is off doing something else that comes into play later. Jaune has a vague idea of what went on with Cinder, but yeah mostly he's pretty clueless. I love snappy Amber too. There was no canon basis for her character and I thought it would be an interesting angle to go with. Besides, if you were dead and your soul was stuck inside the brain of an emotionally unstable teenager you'd probably be pretty salty yourself.


	6. Chapter 6: Attachments

**Chapter Six: Attachments**

Pyrrha sat up on the bed, knees tucked into her chest. Outside, night had fallen and the small, dying lamp on the bedside table did little to illuminate the tiny room she shared with Nora and Ruby.

The space was cramped, with only two cots and a space just big enough for Ruby to lie on her bedroll between them, but it was better than spending the night outside in the forest again.

Ruby sighed happily as she settled into her nest of blankets on the floor. "Yes! No guard duty tonight!"

Pyrrha rolled onto her side to look down at Ruby. "You sure you don't want the bed? I really am okay with sleeping on the floor.

Ruby shook her head, eyes flicking away. "No, no I'm fine! Please, take the bed. You need-I mean, no, I just…I;m fine." she trailed off nervously, squirming further into her blankets. "Goodnight Pyrrha."

Pyrrha sighed. "Goodnight Ruby"

"Hey, what about me?" Nora poked her head through the bathroom door, speaking with a mouthful of toothpaste.

Pyrrha chuckled. The sound rang unnaturally in her ears. "Goodnight Nora."

Nora spat out her toothpaste before bouncing into her own bed. "Goodnight to you too, Pyrrha. Oh! And Ruby."

With that Pyrrha switched off the lamp, and the room went completely black.

She lay on her back for a while, listening to the sounds of Nora and Ruby breathe. She was familiar enough with both of them by now that she could tell when they both passed into sleep, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

She waited a few minutes to be sure no-one would hear before quietly whispering "Hey."

" _Are you even going to try to sleep?"_

Pyrrha felt her cheeks burn. "I can't."

" _You need rest, Pyrrha."_

Pyrrha scoffed. "You almost sound concerned."

" _It's hard not to get a little attached."_

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

" _Well if you die, I die."_

"How sweet."

" _Just hang in there, kid."_

"Stop calling me that." She mumbled, "How old are you anyways?" She felt a twinge of guilt at having to ask.

" _I_ was _twenty seven. But I think age kind of stops applying when you have no body."_

"Oh." Pyrrha paused for a moment. "What's it- _this_ \- like for you?"

" _It's… I don't know. There aren't really words to describe it. I'm me, but also… I'm a part of you too."_

"I… yes, I understand. I think- I…I'm sorry, I'm just trying to make sense of all of this. Of us, of why…" She let the unfinished question hang between them.

" _You_ can't _make sense of this. It doesn't_ make _sense. If Ozpin were here, maybe… but he's not and we are and you need to start accepting that."_

Pyrrha sighed and buried her face in her hands. "I'm _trying._ But this is all happening so fast." Her head had begun to pound again, like a hammer against the inside of her skull.

" _I didn't say it would be easy."_

Pyrrha's response was cut off by a loud yelp of fear.

Pyrrha shot up with a startled cry of her own, hand instinctively reaching towards the sword at her bedside before it registered that the sound had come from Ruby on the floor below.

She closed her eyes, waiting for some speck of composure to return. Then she rolled over to check on Ruby. "You okay?"

Ruby's wide, silver eyes were the only thing Pyrrha could make out in the dark. "I'm fine." Her face suggested otherwise. "Did I wake you up?"

Pyrrha shrugged and shook her head. "I was awake anyways. I had...things to think about."

Ruby glanced over to the other side of the room. "What about Nora?"

Pyrrha laughed, despite herself. "That girl could sleep through a herd of Ursai charging through. I remember at Beacon, she…" Pyrrha trailed off as memories of _before_ came flooding back in. She shook them off.

Ruby smiled thinly, in a way that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah… you're right."

Pyrrha knew she should say something more. She needed to reach out, to… she didn't know what. But Ruby wasn't interested in talking to her… she'd made that much clear over the past few weeks.

 _Do you hate me? Do I scare you?_

Instead she said nothing and rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling until the pre-dawn light began to creep across the room.

That was when a siren began to blare.

 **A/N:**

So another chapter that's mostly just Amber and Pyrrha but I wanted to take some time to show how their relationship has begun to develop before diving back into the action. And there will be plenty of action. I know a few of the main characters haven't gotten a lot of space in this yet- they will. I promise I have ideas for everyone.

Speaking of...

Thanks to Mindless Violence Fan for the review! Nora is definitely going to have an important role in what's going to happen-but I'm not going into too much detail because spoilers.

And thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read this. I'd love to hear your thoughts so feel free to drop me a message or a review.


	7. Chapter 7: Serve and Protect

**Chapter Seven: Protect and Serve**

Jaune awoke with a start to the sound of the city alarm. _Oh no._

The sirens around the settlement's walls were wailing-the Grimm were on their way.

Within instants he was on his feet, reaching for his sword and his armour. Ren was doing the same, as he quickly tugged on his jacket and snatched up the Stormflowers from the table between the beds.

Jaune snuck a glance out the window. It was just past sunrise, and below him Sakurasou was filled with movement as some people scrambled to get to safety while others rushed to defend the perimeter.

He did a quick check of his armour and then turned to Ren. "Let's get down there and see what we're dealing with."

Ren gave a terse nod. "Ready when you are."

The others were already waiting for them outside their room when he got there. None of them exactly looked well-rested or ready, Jaune was sure he didn't look much better himself. _Nothing we can do about that now._ "Ruby, are we good to go?"

Ruby hefted Crescent Rose. "Yep. Locked and loaded."

They were met outside by the town's chief, a balding man who had welcomed them to Sakurasou that morning. "It's a Geist," was the first thing he said as he saw them, his voice breathless and panicky. "A man on the walls spotted it a few miles North. It will be here soon and our walls won't hold out against an attack from something that size."

"That's what we're here for, sir," Ruby assured him, unfolding Crescent Rose to its full size. "We'll handle it."

"You just focus on getting everyone here safe and calm," Jaune added. The man nodded and rushed off.

"So…" Ruby mumbled as soon as he was out of earshot. "Has anyone actually _fought_ a Geist before?" She was met with dead silence. "Okay… small problem but we can still figure this out."

Ren finally spoke up. "They posses objects around them. Trees or rocks, usually, but not a lot else about them is known. They're rare."

Nora snorted. "Yeah, yeah, how do we kill it?"

"... we were supposed to cover that in second year Grimm Studies."

"So you don't know."

"Well I-"

"Less arguing more defending the town of innocent civilians," Jaune interrupted. "We need a plan."

"I'll lure it away from the walls," Ruby volunteered.

"Good. Pyrrha, Nora, go with her and see what damage you can do. The rest of us will back you up as soon as we get everyone here to safety. Aven, what about you?"

"I'll stay here with you two. Zahra, go with Ruby."

Jaune watched as Ruby lead her group into the forest to the north. Pyrrha was the last to disappear into the trees and it took every ounce of Jaune's self-control not to run after her.

A hand on Jaune's shoulder snapped him back to the present. "She'll be fine, Jaune," Ren assured him.

"Right. I… I know."

It got easier as he threw himself into the task of looking after a village full of frightened people. Having a job to do was a welcome distraction from the gunshots and explosions echoing from the forest.

Even so it took far longer than Jaune would have liked for the village to be cleared.

As soon as the last group of people were safely inside, Jaune didn't hesitate to draw his sword. "Let's go!"

He took off towards the sounds of the battle, only pausing to glance over his shoulder to make sure Ren and Aven were still with him.

The earth trembled and the noise grew louder as they approached, Jaune could see movement through the trees-

 _BOOM!_

Jaune slammed into the ground as a large chunk of rock sailed overhead. He managed to roll to his feel as another explosion rang out, bringing his shield up just in time to block the cloud of debris.

"Ren! Are you and-"

"We're fine! Look-"

Ren's warning was cut off by a creak and a thud as something crashed through the trees. A shadow fell over Jaune.

He looked up directly into the eyes of a towering monster made of rocks and trees. The Geist.

Jaune braced himself as the creature lifted its arm high, ready to swing, when suddenly there was a burst of pink and red and the creature staggered back, one of its arms flying apart on impact.

"Yes! Got it!" Nora called out gleefully. "Hey, Jaune, nice of you to join us!"

Nora catapulted herself upwards towards the monster while Ruby placed her hands on her knees, bent over and panting. "We've been hitting it with everything we've got but it keeps possessing new limbs. Nothing except explosives and dust rounds are even making a dent." She nodded towards Pyrrha who had run in close to slash at one of the creature's legs, her blade bouncing harmlessly off of solid stone, while Zahra provided covering fire with her blaster.

Ren leapt into the air, firing as he flew towards the Geist.

One of his bullets collided with the Grimm's face, and the creature let out a shriek of pain as a deep crack formed in the bony mask.

Jaune exchanged a glance with Ruby. "Did you-"

"I saw it. Guys, aim for its face!"

"Nora, go for its arms, get them out of the way!" Jaune drew up beside Pyrrha, weapons at the ready. "Hey."

She acknowledged him with a nod, not taking her eyes off the Grimm. "Hold out your shield."

"Wait, what are you going to do?"

"Just do it. Please." Pyrrha's voice was uncharacteristically tense, but now wasn't the right time to comment. Jaune did as she asked.

"Be careful."

Before he had finished his warning Pyrrha had jumped onto his shield, using her semblance to get an added boost as she launched herself off of it.

Jaune's heart was in his throat as he watched her hang in the air, sword angled down at the monster's face.

Then she disappeared in a cloud of pink as one of Nora's grenades destroyed the Geist's remaining arm. It cried out, its scream grating like nails on a chalkboard, before finally tipping backwards and collapsing to the ground in a heap of boulders and dust. It lay still, Pyrrha's sword protruding from its face which now oozed black Grimm essence.

And just like that, it was over. The trees felt eerily still after the havoc wreaked by the battle, and Jaune's ears rang in the sudden silence.

"That was amazing! We took down a Geist!" Ruby squealed and Jaune felt himself pulled into a hug as Ruby lifted him and spun him around.

"Ruby… Ruby my ribs…" Jaune winced and Ruby let him go. "Pyrrha, I can't believe you managed to… Pyrrha?"

But as he looked around Pyrrha was not among his friends and teammates. His heart skipped a beat.

"Jaune," Nora murmured, hunched over something in the rubble. Jaune only needed one look at her ashen face to know something was very, _very_ wrong. "It's Pyrrha. She's hurt."

 **A/N:**

I'm back! And I'm sorry for the cliffhanger. And for the fact that it's been a month since the last update. High school is hell.

But I have a bunch of ideas for this fic and I'm finally getting to write some of them so this is exciting.

COOLER: I have not watched Fairytale so that wasn't intentional, but cool! And I'll be getting into everything that's going on with Ruby and Pyrrha soon!

ZappyZappy: Pyrrha is mostly who this story is about, so don't worry, she'll get plenty of interaction with everyone. Also I have finally started to get the hang of writing so many characters (I think) which should help.

Thanks to everyone for their continued support! I've started the next chapter already so the wait won't be _quite_ so long this time.


	8. Handle With Care

**Chapter Eight: Handle With Care**

 _She looks small._ That was all Nora could think as she stared at Pyrrha, curled into a tiny ball on the ground, hands pressed to her side. Blood was still seeping through her fingers, thick and bright and wrong. All of this was wrong and if Nora had just been more _careful_ , if she had seen Pyrrha, if she could have just waited a few seconds then maybe none of this would be happening, she wouldn't be scooping her friend in her arms while trying really, _really_ hard not to think about death. _Not again. She can't leave again._

"You can't leave me again, you hear me? Wait no don't talk. You shouldn't talk. But don't…"Nora found that this was one of the few moments of her life when she found herself unable to speak.

She felt Jaune and Ren beside her but she couldn't bring herself to look at them because if she looked at them she was going to cry and she _would not cry_.

"What happened?" Jaune demanded.

"I-I don't know." Nora couldn't make herself look at him. "I think when I- when I destroyed its arm she must have been hit. By the shrapnel, o-or... I-I'm sorry."

Pyrrha let out a little yelp as Nora set her down against a tree and Nora felt like she'd been shot, no, like she'd been stabbed and someone was twisting the knife. But then she saw that Pyrrha's eyes were open, and the tightness in her chest became a bit more bearable. "Nora…," Pyrrha hissed through gritted teeth. "It's not…not that bad. I'll be okay."

"Let me see." Nora peeled Pyrrha's hands away from her stomach to get a better look at the damage. There was a red slash along Pyrrha's right side, that was long but mercifully shallow. Bruises ran along her ribs, the full extent of them hidden under Pyrrha's armour. Nora released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Okay…okay. It didn't go deep. That's good. That's a good sign. You're going to be okay. Your ribs might be broken-but… it could be worse!" She swallowed hard, fighting the tears that were trying to force themselves out.

Ren set a hand on her shoulder, soothing her with his semblance as he knelt in front of Pyrrha. "Can you walk?"

Pyrrha nodded, but as she tried to stand her legs wobbled and Jaune had to rush catch her. "Hey, take it easy. You okay?"

"Just a little dizzy. That's all." Pyrrha wrapped her arms around Jaune's neck for support.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, this is all my fault," Nora blurted out. Her lip trembled and one tear fell, then two, and suddenly she found herself sobbing into Ren's shoulder.

"Nora, no. It was an accident. Pyrrha's a Hunter like all of us. She knew what she was doing," Ren replied, gently but firmly.

"It's okay, Nora. I should have told you what I was going to do." Pyrrha winced as she turned around, she was still doing her best to smile, and that was such a _Pyrrha_ thing to do, it just made Nora cry harder.

"Um." Ruby stepped forward, her face pale. Her eyes darted back and forth and her feet shuffled at the ground in a way that was all twitchy and uncomfortable. "I-I'll go run ahead and get some help." She took off in a flash, before anyone could reply. Pyrrha's plastered-on smile faded.

"Come on," Jaune said, shifting so that he was half-carrying Pyrrha. "Let's get going."

Their team made their way back through the forest, Aven in the front and Zarha in the rear to fight off any Grimm that might have been attracted to their fight-it was a good thing the Geist had been alone. Apparently not all Grimm hunted in packs, and thank Oum for that because one was more than enough for them and Nora was shaking so badly right now that she knew she would probably drop Magnhild if she tried to pick it up. At least Ren was here because if he wasn't Nora wasn't sure what would keep her from completely breaking apart.

Somehow they got Pyrrha to Sakurasou and Nora found herself waiting in a small room inside the town's clinic. The others all sat, tight lipped and silent, but Nora couldn't hold still right now. She she paced instead, back and forth along the aisle between the rickety wooden chairs.

She glanced at the clock. How had only a handful of minutes passed? It felt like hours, days, _years._ They were going to be trapped in this waiting room forever where it was too small and too crowded and there wasn't enough air, and-

"Nora." Nora felt someone grab her hand and whirled around to see Ren, giving her a look of concern.

"Don't worry about me, Ren," she mumbled. "Worry about Pyrrha. I-"

"I _am_ worried about her. But I'm also worried about you."

Nora bit down hard on her lip. _I am_ not _going to cry again, I am not going to cry again…_ "I'll be fine-" Ren raised an eyebrow. "I will! Just as soon as they hurry up and tell us that she's going to be okay."

"She will be," Jaune assured her, except he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself more than her. "She's survived worse. We all have."

Nora nodded and sank into a chair beside him. "If I had known her aura was so low… how did her aura get so low? It wasn't a long fight, and she didn't take that many hits and we'd just been resting, unless… I don't understand!"

Jaune frowned. "She's been...off. Different. Ever since she, you know…"

"Came back." Ren finished Jaune's sentence for him. "I've noticed too."

"I've wanted to talk to her for a while now, but," Jaune blew out a long sigh. "How do I even start?"

"Excuse me?" A nurse stood in the entrance to the waiting room "Is anyone here with the huntress who was brought in?" Instantly Nora, Jaune, and Ren leapt to their feet.

"Is she okay?"

"How bad is it?"

"Can we see her?"

The man smiled. "She's resting, but she can have some visitors. I'll take you to her if you like."

Nora glanced back at Ruby, Aven, and Zahra who had all remained seated.

"We'll stay here," Ruby said. "I wouldn't want to overwhelm her. And you guys are her team, you should see her first."

With no reason to disagree, Nora followed the nurse to the end of a corridor. He pushed open the door to a pristine white room. Pyrrha sat up on a small cot at its' centre and Nora shoved her way past the nurse towards her. "Pyrrha!" Nora looked her up and down, taking in everything. She had been wondering how in Remnant none of the doctors had recognized who they were treating, but now she saw it celar as day. Pyrrha's face was pale and there were dark circles under her eyes and a bandage across her chest and without her armour she didn't look like Pyrrha Nikos, invincible girl. She just looked worn and injured and so, so tired but she was awake and alive and everything else seemed unimportant right now. "Oh, Oum, I was so worried."

"We all were." Ren joined Nora at Pyrrha's bedside. "How are you feeling?"

Pyrrha smiled, but the smile wasn't a real Pyrrha smile, it was really more of a grimace and it didn't reach her eyes. "Better. Much better."

She didn't look better, she looked exhausted and sad and Nora wanted to give her the biggest hug ever but she was scared of hurting Pyrrha's damaged ribs. It was jarring to look at Pyrrha and suddenly think _fragile._ But Nora wasn't going to let that show because that would only make Pyrrha feel even _worse_ and she'd done enough damage for one day. "Pyrrha, I am so, so sor-"

"Nora." Pyrrha held up a hand. "We've been through this already. It wasn't your fault. And I'm fine!"

"While I agree with the first part," Jaune cut in, "You're in the hospital, Pyrrha. You aren't fine."

Pyrrha dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "It's just a cut and some bruising. Nothing my aura can't fix."

Jaune's frown didn't fade. "You wouldn't have gotten hurt if your aura hadn't been low… how did that happen? I know we haven't been resting a lot and things have been tough, but there's no way-"

"Jaune, you guys, please." Pyrrha wasn't looking any of them, and she couldn't seem hold her hands still. Their twitchy movements across her lap were making Nora feel uncomfortably twitchy herself, so she reached out and took Pyrrha's hands in her own.

"No. Jaune's right. Pyrrha, what's going on with you? Talk to us. You're freaking me out."

Pyrrha pulled away, and her fingers went back to their nervous dance. "That's exactly what I don't want."

"Okay, so then tell me what's wrong. Right now." Nora crossed her arms and stared Pyrrha down.

Pyrrha fidgeted, eyes darting back and forth. "There _isn't_ anything-"

"Pyrrha, look at-" Nora reached out, tucking her hand under Pyrrha's chin to look her in the eyes-

Pyrrha drew in a sharp breath, jerking away drawing up into herself, one hand wrapping around her stomach, the other flying to that spot between her collarbones. Her face shifted suddenly from anxious to terrified.

Nora jumped back, hands held out in a placating gesture. "Woah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't, are you…"

"I… I…" Pyrrha was shaking, her whole body was actually trembling. Nora stared at her, paralyzed. What had she _done?_ What had happened, what had she missed that had reduced Pyrrha to… this, in a split second?

"Breathe, Pyrrha." Ren reached out and set his hand on Pyrrha's arm.

"Let go of me!" Pyrrha shoved Ren away, hard enough that he nearly toppled to the floor. Nora and Jaune both took a step back. Nora couldn't wrap her head around what was happening. This- this _wasn't_ Pyrrha. Pyrrha wasn't violent or angry like this, she wasn't-

Pyrrha buried her head in her hands, shaking her head. "That was uncalled for. I apologize." She looked up after a moment, and her voice was a little steadier when she said "I'm tired. I should rest now. Thank you all for… for everything."

Nora looked helplessly from Jaune to Ren, then back to Pyrrha. None of them could seem to find the right thing to say.

Finally, Jaune shrugged then nodded, his mouth a tight, tense line. "You… just get some rest, okay?" He started towards the door, then stopped and turned around quickly enough that Nora nearly ran into him. "When you're ready to talk, we'll all be here. Just let us know."

Pyrrha nodded and gave her not-real smile again. And the sight of her like this broke Nora's heart, but what could she do?

 _Nothing,_ came the answer inside her head. Nora had never realized how powerless one word could make someone feel.

 **A/N:**

 **I have no excuse for how long this took me and it's kind of a mess because it's 1am right now and I just want to get this posted.**

So Pyrrha finally suffers some consequences for her self-destructive behaviour and her team is catching on. Except that none of them know how to handle it.

Also: Nora chapter! Which is why there's a lot of run-on sentences. I tried really hard with this one to capture her voice, with mixed results.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter!

ZappyZappy: Pyrrha definitely needs friends right now. Actually she needs to figure out how to talk to said friends about things like the person hitching a ride in her brain. We'll see how that works out.

COOLER: That does sound a bit like Pyrrha and Amber (knowing this fandom those two probably have a ship name but I have no idea what it is) actually though, I was kind of thinking they remind me a little of Jamie Reyes and his Scarab in Young Justice, except that Amber comes with a whole lot of sarcasm and repressed trauma instead of cool armor and high-tech weaponry.

Anyways time to go pass out now how you guys like this chapter!


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